Books are open on each desk. Students sit silently while one student struggles through reading the text. The student stops over and over again and waits for the teacher to prompt him with the word he can't figure out. Several students are staring out into space and others are busy trying to figure out which section they will be reading.
This scene is likely familiar in many classrooms. So what's really wrong with Round Robin Reading anyway? Research has shown that using this practice in classrooms does far more harm than good. Round Robin Reading (RRR), which is also commonly referred to as "Popcorn Reading", leads to slower reading rates, a lower quantity of text being read, more off-task behaviors, models of dysfluent reading, and problems with comprehension. Research provides us with useful information about practices that are most effective in our classrooms, and this type of reading doesn't make the list. Consider the following statements associated with Round Robin Reading:
"I read five sentences at school today!"
We would be horrified if a student went home and proclaimed this to their parents, yet Round Robin Reading does just this. In classrooms where RRR is used, students read far less than those classrooms that do not. Many times, students are asked to read only a paragraph or a few sentences which greatly lowers the reading opportunities within a day.
"Time for the dress rehearsal."
Ask most students and they will tell you that while other students are reading they really aren't following along. While a classmate is reading they are likely counting paragraphs or lines to figure out which section is going to be their section to read. They then proceed to practice reading their part in their head while the current student reading drowns on in background.
"Not him again!!"
Imagine being a fluent reader and having to listen to a classmate struggle through a text. It becomes boring and tiresome for those students who are good readers to be held back by those who may struggle. Additionally, this can model dysfluent reading for all students in your class. Even worse, I've heard of cases where "reading bullying" actually takes place when good readers in a class purposely call on struggling readers in order to make them feel embarrassed
"Not ME again!!"
If you've never been a struggling reader, then you have no idea how horrible it feels to be called upon to publicly perform a task that everyone else seems to do with ease. Students who struggle with reading often feel singled out in the practice of Round Robin Reading. They in turn become more anxious about reading which perpetuates the cycle of not wanting to read. In upper grades, students may act out in order to be removed from class to avoid reading.
"Teacher knows best"
There's a good chance that we've all done some form of RRR in the past. At least half of K-8 teachers have reported some variation of RRR in their instruction (Ash, Kuhn, Walpole, 2009). But it's time to get honest with ourselves. Round Robin Reading does not benefit students' reading abilities and really is a superficial level of engagement in a text. I often hear teachers say, "But my students love popcorn reading! They beg me to do it!" to which a wise friend of mine once replied, "They also like chocolate, but that doesn't mean you give it to them. " Teacher knows best when it comes to reading instruction and our students rely on us to be the professional.
So What's the Alternative?
There are plenty of other practices that can be substituted for RRR or popcorn reading.
1. We can read-aloud to students.
- Teacher read-alouds provide good modeling of reading and comprehension. Keep read-alouds interactive and engage students in concepts, vocabulary, and strategies.
2. Students can read to each other.
- The strategy of Patterned Partner Reading (McLaughlin & Allen, 2009) keeps students focused and working together on a text. (Note: This requires thoughtful planning and modeling of practices in peer coaching to be effective.)
3. Students can read silently.
- When teachers provide scaffolding and a purpose for reading it assists students in their focus and understanding of a text. While students are reading, consider sitting down next to an individual student to listen to them read and confer with them for a quick moment.
Looking for more alternatives to Round Robin Reading? Check out the book:
Good-bye Round Robin: 25 Effective Oral Reading Strategies (Opitz & Rasinski)
References:
1. McLaughlin, Maureen. "Read-Alouds and Recreational Reading Always! Round-Robin Reading Never!" Reading Today 31.1 (2013): 3-4. Print.
2. Hilden, Katherine, and Jennifer Jones. "Sweeping Round Robin Reading Out of Your Classroom." Reading Today 29.5 (2012): 23-24. Print.
